A tailor-made label for Luxembourg

In response to the specific challenges facing the Grand Duchy, an innovative label is being created to encourage sustainable and resilient projects. Designed to meet local needs, SERENE is being developed in collaboration with national experts and institutions. Caroline Drouard, Director of Spatial Planning, and Thomas Biendel, Head of Innovation and Director of Hydrology at LSC360, who are involved in its development, explain its objectives and prospects.

Can you tell us more about the origins of the SERENE label and the specific local needs you identified in Luxembourg that led to its creation?

CD: SERENE is an acronym for Sustainable, Healthy, and Resilient Cities and Neighbourhoods. The idea for its creation arose from a collective reflection on the existing tools for sustainability and resilience in Luxembourg. For many years, our group has been deeply involved in sustainable development and resilience in various forms: in the planning, projection, execution, monitoring and analysis of projects.

TB: Over time, we noticed that the tools and labels available, most of which came from other European countries, did not fully correspond to the specificities of the Luxembourg context. These labels were either too general or too focused on criteria that did not directly concern the Grand Duchy and the local issues that determine whether a project is truly resilient or not. We also believe that considering resilience at the building level alone is insufficient. Very important issues, sometimes with a much greater impact, are at stake at the neighbourhood level.

CD: With regard to local specificities, one example among many is the management of excavated land and soil. The country’s landfills have long been saturated and no longer have the capacity to accommodate large quantities of excavated soil. A resilient project should therefore optimise this management by limiting disposal or managing materials on site. This is a local issue that international labels do not take into account, as it is less pronounced abroad. When you consider the congestion on Luxembourg’s roads, it is clear that the transport of inert materials has an impact that goes far beyond the carbon footprint.

What guarantees the legitimacy of this label and prevents it from becoming a mere marketing tool?

TB: This is a crucial question, and it is precisely to avoid falling into the trap of greenwashing that this project was launched. We don’t want to create a label just to display it like a medal or a selling point, to tick a box or boost the commercial value of a property.

We want this label to be co-constructed with all the stakeholders here in Luxembourg, reflecting a genuine awareness and collaboration between professionals in the sector, experts and, of course, public authorities. It is this collective effort that will guarantee its legitimacy. If the label is a success, it would be possible to envisage a wide variety of (co-)financing solutions in the future.

CD: We want to base the legitimacy of this label on technical and multidisciplinary expertise in particular. At LSC360, thanks to our 300 employees specialising in areas such as the environment, urban planning, mobility, water, soil, regulation, construction, infrastructure, etc., we have a very wide range of skills, which enables us to address all aspects of a project in a cross-functional manner and to build multidisciplinary teams working on each theme in a systematic way.

TB: And this label must also embody our values. Sustainability and resilience are not just words we use in our communications. They are commitments that we translate into action. We want to highlight projects that go far beyond the regulatory framework, those that innovate and adopt best practices. We do not want to settle for the regulatory minimum when certifying a project.

CD: Ultimately, our goal is clear: we want this label to become a true benchmark. To achieve this, it will be completely transparent. The assessment grid and criteria will be accessible to all, so that everyone can understand and take ownership of the tool. Above all, it must be public. It will be designed to serve the collective interest and not to respond to commercial interests.

How have you structured collaboration around the SERENE label to ensure its effectiveness and acceptance by all stakeholders?

TB: It is based on a three-tiered organisation, where each stakeholder plays a well-defined role to ensure the relevance and effectiveness of the project.

At the first level are the three main pillars of the project: NeoBuild, LIST, and us, LSC360. Together, we steer the label’s broad direction, coordinate between the various stakeholders, and provide technical expertise in both theoretical science and practical application. This complementarity is essential.

The second level consists of an advisory committee that will provide feedback on the relevance of the proposed framework of indicators and strategic directions. This committee will be formed in the coming weeks. It will bring together key players in the sector, including ministries, local authorities, trade unions, and private and public developers. This group will be called upon regularly to discuss, respond and actively contribute to the development of the label. Its involvement is crucial in order to integrate political and economic issues, as well as local and national priorities. By working together, these stakeholders will bring a diversity of perspectives to the table, promoting choices and decisions that reflect the realities on the ground.

Finally, the third level will include a working group on the label, which is also currently being set up. It will test the indicators developed in line with the expectations of public and private stakeholders. Although it will not be involved in all stages of the process, it will be kept informed of the project’s progress and invited to provide feedback on an ad hoc basis. This level ensures maximum transparency and broad acceptance of the label, ensuring that all stakeholders feel involved.

CD: This tripartite organisation has a clear goal: to prevent the creation of a unilateral, imposed, isolated label. The aim is to jointly develop a tool that, as soon as it is released, is already accepted and adopted by all stakeholders.

How is the collaboration with LIST and Neobuild going?

TB: From the very beginning of the SERENE label creation process, we understood the importance of collaborating with other key players in the sector to ensure its relevance and effectiveness. As a private company, we have neither the pretension nor the legitimacy to develop a label on our own, as it would have had little value on the Luxembourg market. That is why we approached LIST, a public applied research organisation, which in turn established a link with NeoBuild, an innovation centre for the construction sector. This collaboration has enabled us to pool our expertise and resources. Each of the partners has brought a complementary perspective: LSC360 with its in-depth knowledge of local issues and planning projects, LIST with its scientific approach and research skills, and Neobuild with its expertise in sustainable innovation and certification, as well as communication.

CD: We are very grateful to have the support of these two organisations. LIST is the real administrative and scientific driving force behind the project. It has the experience and capacity to handle complex files, such as those required by the National Research Fund (FNR), whose funding applications demand considerable precision and volume of data. In addition to this administrative support, the scientific method and the wealth of brainpower available at this research centre are at the heart of the label’s technical development. We, LSC360, will contribute our experience in the field. A balance will have to be struck between our pragmatism and the scientific excellence of LIST. The aim is to find the right balance so that the label can get the best of both worlds.

NeoBuild plays a central role as a driver of communication and certification. It contributes its organisational skills and connections with other stakeholders.

When do you plan to officially launch the label?

CD: Discussions began about two years ago. We now have a three-year financing plan with LIST, and the goal is to have the label fully operational by the end of 2027 or early 2028. We have a precise timetable with a clear objective, and we have also carried out a risk analysis. Before its release, we will test the label at two pilot sites to assess its effectiveness and adjust it if necessary. It is a dynamic process, but the goal remains to finalise everything in 2027.

TB: For the moment, the pilot sites proposed in our application to the National Research Fund are of two types: a neighbourhood created from scratch and an existing neighbourhood undergoing urban renewal and renovation. But these are still examples; other sites may better meet our criteria, so everything is still subject to adjustment. What is certain is that we want to have tested this label in the field, adjusted the criteria based on feedback, and thus offer a label that is truly adapted to the realities of Luxembourg. Furthermore, once the initial drafts of the label have been drawn up and approved, well before the official launch, we will use them in all our projects to guide the development of neighbourhoods in Luxembourg and to gather feedback.

Article published in Lëtzebuerger Gemengen 265